Simply Summer
Summer's bounty has arrived! We're enjoying a salad from our garden with brats from a pig raised by friends. There's just so much...
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melebenz
- Apr 4
- 1 min
New Beginnings
We've had a wet winter here in Hilmar with nearly twice our average rainfall. As a result, we've learned that our annual water allocation...
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melebenz
- Mar 11
- 1 min
Farming to Feed Ecosystems
Our farm is part of the 1000 Farms Initiative studying the impacts of regenerative farming practices. We're thrilled that the data...
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melebenz
- Aug 27, 2022
- 1 min
Everyday Snacks & Special Treats
It's back to school for our household which means we're roasting almonds every weekend to pack in lunch bags. While I love almonds every...
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melebenz
- Jul 3, 2022
- 1 min
Happy Independence Day
Independence has been a core value on our small farm, leading us to become organic pioneers back in the 1980s. We enjoy the freedom we...
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melebenz
- Apr 25, 2022
- 1 min
What's the (Under)story?
Below the canopy of our orchard, there's an ecosystem that plays an important role in the work we do growing almonds. There's a...
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melebenz
- Feb 12, 2022
- 1 min
Growing Almonds: A Love Story
This time of year, the almond trees in California's Central Valley bloom. It happens like clockwork. February's the month the new crop...
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melebenz
- Dec 27, 2021
- 1 min
Happy Holistic New Year
The New Year is a time when folks try to course correct from decadent holiday celebrations. I've been one of the people in the gym for a...
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melebenz
- Dec 13, 2021
- 1 min
Healthy Gifting
I'm working on gifts for my staff at the elementary school where I work as a principal. I like to give gifts that are useful and they...
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melebenz
- Sep 18, 2021
- 1 min
Capturing a Farming Legacy
My niece Asia, a professional photographer who documents her life in the ocean in Hawaii, visited our family farm and made magic with her...
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melebenz
- Sep 6, 2021
- 1 min
Real World Science on the Farm
During a recent visit to the farm, we did a science experiment to look at how Grandpa's organic farming practices impacted water...
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melebenz
- Aug 9, 2021
- 1 min
Family Farming
Our family gathered at the farm this last weekend for a business meeting - with a new crop coming in the next couple of months and a new...
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Mele Benz
- Jul 29, 2021
- 2 min
That Guardian Article
About a year and a half ago, I kept seeing an article from The Guardian about bees and almonds in my Facebook feed. It was going viral...
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Mele Benz
- Jul 26, 2021
- 1 min
When You Don't Want to Keep Up with the Joneses
I live a few hours from my parents' farm in a place with plenty of almond orchards. On my way home the other day, I spotted our neighbor...
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Glenn Anderson
- Jul 23, 2021
- 1 min
Dirt First
When customers tell us our almonds taste good, we tell them it's because we've been building our soil for forty years. Our regenerative...
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Glenn Anderson
- Jul 21, 2021
- 1 min
Farming in a Drought
This time of year, we're prepping for our harvest and that means making sure our trees have sufficient water to make it to the finish...
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